Review of The Ships of Merior, by Janny Wurts

The Ships of Merior by Janny Wurts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ships of Merior, by Janny Wurts

The Ships of Merior is the second volume in a complex work of art by Janny Wurts.

It follows primarily two princes, half-brothers, Lysaer and Arithon. In the first book of the series (which I haven't read) the two princes, heirs of two royal lines, were cursed by a mistwraith named Desh-Thierre, which they defeated using their magic gifts of control over light and shadow. The half-brothers are forced by the curse to seek the death of the other, and The Ships of Merior is the tale of how Lysaer, Master of Light, is actively seeking the location and death of his brother, and how Arithon, Master of Shadow, is turning all his considerable power and wit to evading him.

During the first part of this book, I found myself in the midst of an intense and almost immediate dislike of Lysaer. This surprised me, as I usually like those characters. This meant, of course, that my favorite character ended up being Arithon, which also surprised me.

Janny Wurts has painted all her characters in, not just black and white, but also shades of gray. Lysaer, who is portrayed to most of this fantastical world as their savior from the Master of Shadow, is gravely misled concerning his brother, and is actively increasing animosity against Arithon in the world. Gifted with a family magic ability of justice, Lysaer is portrayed as a larger-than-life and almost more than human person. His gifts of leadership and an ability to make enemies work together toward a single end have brought disparate factions together in their quest for the Master of Shadow's life.

Arithon, who is also possessed of a magical family ability, is crippled by his compassion for others. This magical trait of compassion makes him an easy target, and also a fugitive, since he refuses to meet his brother head on. Meeting Lysaer in battle would cause death and destruction, and so Arithon takes to the sea in an effort to avoid the grips of the curse. Arithon is portrayed as a tortured man who would like nothing more than to live in peace, where his presence will endanger no one.

Arithon has been in hiding, and training with the Masterbard to hone his talent for music. Traveling in disguise, Arithon's master is injured during a musical performance. Pressed into service in his master's stead and angry at a hurt that could have been prevented, Arithon plays with all his skill.

The music he plays awakens the mage abilities that he blinded in Curse of the Mistwraith, and unwittingly disturbs sleeping Paravian magic. The magic causes destruction, and the powers he accidentally called into play exhaust him, and alert all who were seeking him to his whereabouts.

In an effort to throw off the search, he retreats to Merior, where he plans to build ships and escape to the sea.

But Lysaer now knows where his enemy is, and sets a plan in motion that would bring a war host of thousands to the small fishing town of Merior.

When Arithon finds out about this development, he sets his own plan in motion to buy time. Using his feal clansmen, he harries the war host over land, delaying their arrival at the fleet of ships they plan to use to reach Merior. Upon the host's arrival at the port, winter is close at hand, and supplies in the city low. For his men to survive, Prince Lysaer must set out the day after arriving.

Arithon's plan, however, is incomplete. He arrives the morning Lysaer's men are planning to board the ships, and spins an illusion of shadow over other ships loaded with flammables. Lysaer reacts to Arithon's presence and the curse by attacking the ships with powerful light in an attempt to protect his people and kill Arithon. The searing light sets the ships aflame. The fire spreads to the ships in Lysaer's fleet, crippling the Master of Light's war host.

Lysaer must, of necessity, disband a large portion of his army, as their host city cannot feed them all with the onset of winter. Arithon has bought himself some time - and sends a message to his brother. He could have easily waited until the ships were loaded with men to set them on fire, but he did not. Lysaer's gift of light was set on empty ships, saving thousands of men's lives.

This book kept my attention through the entire length. Janny Wurts has a formidable vocabulary that is used extensively; some readers may desire a dictionary. And for those who start at book two, rather than book one, the glossary is an important asset.

This book is one I would not hesitate to read again, and I am very glad I purchased the next book at the same time, and have it waiting to be read. Janny Wurts is undoubtedly a wonderful author who excels at creating detailed imagery and forging emotional bonds between the reader and the characters of her books. She is also very talented at making readers laugh; indeed, the scene with Arithon taking an inventory of the armory while soldiers trip over themselves in the dark trying to catch him is one of my favorite parts, and made me laugh out loud.

May she continue to write such excellent work in the future!

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